1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

A provision in the reconciliation bill that the House just passed states “No court of the United States may use appropriated funds to enforce a contempt citation for failure to comply with an injunction or temporary restraining order if no security was given when the injunction or order was issued….” will remove federal courts ability to enforce contempt rulings. This provision poses a grave threat to the balance of powers and the rule of law. Without this essential authority, court orders will become unenforceable suggestions that the executive branch can disregard. Remove this alarming provision from the bill! Eliminating the contempt power would render the judiciary toothless, undermine our system of checks and balances, and enable the president to act with impunity. Preserving judicial independence in the separation of powers is vital to safeguarding the Democratic Institutions. I urge you to defend the courts contempt authority and their role as a co-equal branch able to enforce the rulings against executive overreach.